


Sunset

by Shatterpath



Series: Once Upon an Alternate Universe [9]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Horseback Riding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-14
Updated: 2013-02-14
Packaged: 2017-11-29 07:04:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/684195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shatterpath/pseuds/Shatterpath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma and Philippe show up Regina and Thunder as they steeplechase through the forest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sunset

Giggling like a little girl, Emma hunches down over Philippe’s neck, egging the big horse to greater efforts. For a warhorse well into his second decade, the stallion can move! Oh, I could push Thunder into besting them, but where's the fun in that?

I could tell, even early in the horse riding lessons, that Emma would be a natural at this. She only had to learn the basic skills and, more importantly, to trust her instincts. Luckily for all parties, Philippe himself is twice the teacher of David and I combined.

Thunder sticks close to Philippe's gray tail as we weave through town and the outskirts of the forest. Thomas had been kind enough to shoe the horses for good traction on the unforgiving roads and the steel rings sharply on cement and asphalt.

"C'mon Gina!"

Oops, I’ve let my concentration falter and Thunder has fallen back. Rather than push my mount, I admire Emma, both as my lover and as a rider. My shock is not feigned when Philippe gathers himself and hurtles over a fallen tree with effortless grace. Only very ingrained training keeps me on Thunder's back as he skids to a stiff-legged halt.

"Man, you are something else, Philippe!"

Emma's delighted voice carries back to me and after a moment, she and the stallion reappear along the trail. With a frisky, diagonal trot, Philippe is in head-tossing high spirits like some yearling colt.

"Magnificently done," I praise them both. "Though you did give me a bit of a scare at the end there."

"Oh, that was all big boy here. I just held on and trusted him. Knocked my face on his neck, but not too hard. Hence the watering eyes."

Sure enough, there are tears on her face, belied by her wild grin.

"You're lucky you didn't break your nose."

Laughing, Emma blows me a kiss and turns Philippe back down the trail. "We'll have to bring a chainsaw this way next time. Open this trail back up. Damn trees."

With silent, expert communication, I send Thunder back the way we'd come some distance before bringing him around again. "Come on then, boy. If that old man can do it, so can we!"

With a squeeze of my legs and my body hunching down over his neck, Thunder is off like a arrow loosed from a bow. Oh, the rush is intoxicating, this communication and power and speed! The fallen tree rushes at us, Thunder gathers himself and we hurtle over the obstacle with fluid ease.

Emma cheers as we lope to a halt beside her.

"Beautiful," she murmurs intimately, leaning far over to kiss me sweetly and thoroughly. After the heady rush of the jump, I respond even more eagerly. Only the horse's restless moving apart interrupts the loving exchange, nearly upsetting us both from our saddles.

"You're no fun, old man," Emma chides playfully and Philippe snorts expressively, making we humans laugh. Thunder obeys my admonishing tug at the trailing reins and extracts his nose from the forest greenery to follow his stablemate. "Y'know, despite all of your reassurances and everyone's cheerleading, I really didn't think I’d like this so much."

"I know, Darling. I'm very glad you've grown to love it."

"I have!"

Her smile melts my heart.

"I suppose we should get back before it gets dark," Emma muses and I can't resist teasing.

"Oh, there are appeals to a dark and mysterious forest, at least if you're in it."

The leer makes her laugh, delighting me. It took some time for me to relearn how to be playful, but such an appreciative audience is good incentive.


End file.
